Headlight



P. J. HIGGS.

HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 1918.

I51 IMMIM II X INVENTF? ATTORNEY Patented- IDec. 20, I921 nooseo.

rmcr JACKSON HIGGS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

nnannren r.

Application filed April 1,

1 att whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY JACKSON Hrocs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in head lights of vehicles, with particular reference to the concentration ofthe light upon the road without impairing its efiiciency, yet at the same time eliminating the objectionable glare due to upper and side rays of the head light.

In order to comply with the legal require, ments of most municipalities, head lights of motor vehicles must be of a nature "to be visible under ordinary'conditions at least.

have been passed requiringv that the center rays of head lights'shall strike the ground within a comparatively short distance of the front of the vehicle, or shall be dimmed to eliminate glare.

It becomes an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a device which will be simple and inexpensive in construction, but

which will comply with the above-mentioned and similar ordinances, and which while eliminating the objectionable rays of light referred to will do so without loss. That is to say, the roadway will be properly illuminated but Without objectionable light rays.

In the, accompanying drawing- Figure llis a front elevation of a head light equipped with a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a modification thereof. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a head light equipped with a still further modification.

Fig. 4 shows the preferred configuration of the glare illuminating portion of the head light glass; and V Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line A--A of Fig: 4.

The construction of Fig. 1, comprises a Specification of Letters Patent. P tented Dec. 2th, 1192i,

19l8. Serial No. 225,950.

head light designated 1, which will be equipped with the usual parabolic reflector and light not shown, and a circular glass plate or lens 2. The upper part of this plate is clear, but the lower half 3 is coated or covered in any suitable manner, such as flashing for instance, by an opalescent layer 4 on the inner side, this portion of the lens being semicircular in contour, and preferably having a small semicircular lug or car 5 project ing upwardly from the middle of the upper edge of the opalescent surface to screen the light orlamp of the head light. It will be understood that my improved head light glass or lens is not a translucent one, as though for instance it were ground glass, but is transparent, and at the same time light rays passing through it will be softened so as not to be at all objectionable or dangerous.

The opalescent surface also acts in the sense of a reflector, in that some light rays striking its surface will be reflected to the upper part of the parabolic refiector'to be reflected by it slightly downwardly to illuminate the roadway. I have found by experiment that as a matter of fact the roadway is illuminated as brightly and possibly better by the use of my device than where a plain lens is used, and that at the same time the rays from the head light when encountered by pedestrians or by a driver movingin the opposite direction, are free from glare.

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of the device of Fig. 1 which has just been described, in that the opalescent portion there designated 6 is a separate piece of glass from the remainder of the lens, to which it may be cemented or otherwise permanently secured. The section 6 of this modification is flashed opalescent the same as the portion 3 of the form of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a still further modification. in which the opalescent portion, there designated 7, is entirely separate from the head light lens or glass, and may be set into the frame holdin the lens in place, either in front of or in back of the lens. This construction would be useful, for instance, should a motorist desire not to go to the expense of equipping his car with a whole new ens.

upon the lower half of the head light glass or lens, I may employ any other transparent material which will be capable of reflecting light rays back to the parabolic reflector and In lieu of the opalescent film or flashing permit rays having a definite road illuminating value to pass therethrough.

What I claim as new is:

l. The combination with a vehicle headlight having a parabolic reflector and a source of lightassociated therewith, of a transparent headlight window having the inner surface of its lower transparent headlight window having the inner surface of itslower half coated With a layer of opal glass, said coated portion torming a reflecting medium permitting direct and reflecting light rays having a road illuminating value to pass thereth'rough.-

3. The combination with a vehicle headlight having a parabolic reflector and a source of light associated therewith, of a transparent headlight window having the inner surface of its lower half covered with a transparent material capable of reflecting light rays back to the parabolic reflector and permitting rays having a definite road illuminating value to ass therethrough.

PER J ACKSON'HIGGS. 

